Archive for the ‘Events’ Category
2011
10.04
Tags: David Duhr, Justine Tal Goldberg, Narrow Gate Books, self-publishing classes, TLC Graphics, Write Here, WriteByNight writing center
Posted in Classes, Events | No Comments »
WriteByNight is an awesome Austin-based literary salon and writing workshop. In case you’ve never heard of them, here’s a clue: they’re not your mama’s writing center.
Run jointly by writers Justine Tal Goldberg and David Duhr, a couple just crazy enough to turn their loft apartment into a public writing space (at least for a few days out of every week), WriteByNight is a full-service writing center as well as a free space for writers to drink some coffee, write a few good lines, or simply chill out with a few like-minded souls. Their “Write Here” open hours are currently Tuesdays from 11 AM to 3 PM, Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM, and Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM, and you can drop in at any of those times to rock the free wifi or write to your heart’s content.
If you’re looking to learn more about the self-publishing revolution that is currently upon us, you’ll definitely want to check out their new series of classes, starting with Self-Publishing for Profit on October 11 at 6 PM. At just $29 a piece, these classes are a steal of a deal, and discounts are available for those purchasing tickets to all three parts of the series in advance (including Book Design That Gets Buzz and How’d They Do It?: Publishers Share Profitable Pointers). The series is a partnership with TLC Graphics & Narrow Gate Books, and includes information useful to writers at all stages of the self-publishing process.
In addition to their low-budget writing and publishing courses, those looking for more personalized services can also hook up with manuscript consultants and book coaches for fees that are remarkably reasonable for the shoestring budget. (I should know: I work for WBN!) You can request a free consultation by visiting their website at WriteByNight.net and sending them your email address in the form located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
For more infomation about WriteByNight’s services and workshops, please visit WriteByNight.net. You can also drop-in during their open hours at 1305 E. Sixth Street, Suite 4.
2011
09.29
Tags: Blow-Out Bar, Cardinal Cool & the Nuns of Justice, Dave Lowell, DJ Catwalk, DJ Charlie, Ejede, Eric Timmerman, Free Coffee Day, free manicures, freebies, Good Ghost Bill, hipster-approved glasses, Indstry Print Shop, Jade Mandrake, Jason Ice, Krispy Kreme, Ladies' Night at Beauty Bar, live graffiti, Luis Banuelos, Lupe Valadez, martinis, Niz, Our Eyes Need Art, Sarah Slam, slam poetry, Spider House, Spruce Aveda Salon, Supreme Pizza Cats, Tara Carr, Tortoise and Blonde, Tyler Booker, Wake, Zachary Caballero, Zuzu Perkal
Posted in Events, Freebies, Frugal Fashion, Music | No Comments »
How’d we miss this? Today is FREE COFFEE DAY and no one told us! Clearly, we’re not getting enough caffeine in our systems. So while you’ve already missed the free 7-11 cuppa joe, you can still snag a freebie from that venerable donut institution, Krispy Kreme, until 10 PM! No purchase necessary, yo. Two locations in Austin at 701 E. Stassney Lane and 12586 Research Boulevard for your dunking pleasure.
In other freebies, enjoy the “Blow-Out Bar” with start-to-finish hair styling at Spruce Aveda Salon from 3 to 6 PM. Add a cut-out of some of the sweet frames from Tortoise & Blonde to your “before” and “after” iPhone shots and you could win a pair of hipster-approved glasses, too!
Once you’re all dolled up, get someplace to go! Tonight is Ladies’ Night at Beauty Bar, with $5 martinis & free manicures starting at 10 PM. “Lonely Man Lonestars” are just $2 for the gents, for equal opportunity drinking.
If cheap drinks aren’t quite enough to whet your whistle, get artsy with Our Eyes Need Art at Spider House for just $5 (or hit the link for a chance to win free tix from Do512). Feast your eyes on artwork from Jade Mandrake, Supreme Pizza Cats, Tara Carr, Zuzu Perkal, Dave Lowell, Niz, Sarah Slam, Eric Timmerman, Lupe Valadez, Tyler Booker, Wake and Jason Ice while watching live graffiti created by Niz, Wake, Jason Ice and Dave Lowell and enjoying the slam poetry stylings of Good Ghost Bill and Zachary Caballero. Rock out with live music by Luis Banuelos, Ejede, DJ Catwalk, Cardinal Cool & the Nuns of Justice and DJ Charlie, or grab some custom t-shirts screen printed by Industry Print Shop.
Free mothalovin’ coffee day! Time to re-fuel.
2011
09.23
Tags: Austin's Martha Stewart, breakfast tacos, foodie Friday, Hilah Cooking, Hilah Johnson, Learn To Cook
Posted in Books & Lit, Recipes | No Comments »
Okay, guys and dolls, it’s Foodie Friday and guess what? Another awesome local has written a super-cool book that you need to get your hands on, stat. It’s called Learn To Cook, and it’s by Hilah Cooking‘s one and only Hilah Johnson.
For those who don’t busy themselves with all things Austin and food-related because they’ve got day jobs or whatevs, Hilah is basically Austin’s version of Martha Stewart, all jacked up on sweet tea and Breakfast Tacos. Coincidentally, breakfast tacos are also the subject of her first book, which you can get FOR FREE by clicking that link. The girl knows her breakfast tacos, and will explain exactly why breakfast burritos are not, remotely, the same thing.
After writing about all things breakfast taco-y, and presenting tons of weekly episodes of her online cooking show, Hilah decided to go for the hot sauce and write a book that would help everyone learn how to cook. That’s right, EVERYONE. That includes even the most clueless peeps who’ve never been in a kitchen in their lives, and those of you that can burn water. (True fact: an ex-boyfriend of mine once admitted his mother was able to do this; please do not try it at home, as it involves leaving a full pot of water on the stove for so long that it entirely evaporates and ruins the bottom of your pot. Bad idea.)
If you, too, have been wondering how to get started in the kitchen without burning the house down or feeling stupid because you don’t know what directions like “fold in gently” or “saute” or “julienne” mean, check out Hilah’s website and buy a copy of Learn To Cook. The best thing about this book is that there’s a totally free 17-page sample you can try before you buy, and if you totally hate it (which you won’t), she’ll even give you your money back. There’s also a super-cool option to get bonus videos with the book, so you can watch Hilah cook everything step-by-step. Sweet, right?
So screw going out on Friday night and wasting your dough on expensive meals and drinks that you can totally make at home. Hilah will teach you how to do it up right, whether you’re looking to impress a guy or gal, or just feed your own dang self. Enjoy!
2011
09.19
Tags: Austin Writers Anthology, Black Heart Magazine, Black Heart seeks cover art, Brian Roe, Ronda Pattison, The NOIR Issue, visual art
Posted in Books & Lit, Contests | No Comments »
Calling all visual artists! Our friends at Black Heart Magazine are in search of some kick-ass cover art for their latest digital anthology, a collection of local writers on the city of Austin. Whether you draw, paint, sculpt, pound metal into outrageous shapes, take photos, create collages, stain glass or spin garbage into gold, they want YOU to show ‘em what you’ve got.
The Vibe: Austin, in all its weirdness + a literary/artistic element
Submit your best take on Austin as a literary city via their Submishmash system (in JPG or GIF formats) by September 30, 2011 and your artwork could be the next cover.
Possible Inspiration: See the cover of their NOIR Anthology by artists Brian Roe and Ronda Pattison to kickstart your creative engines.
For more info on Black Heart, check out their website at http://blackheartmagazine.com.
2011
09.17
Tags: Austin area wildfires, Austin Bakes for Bastrop, bake sale, benefit, Central Texas Wildfire Fund
Posted in Events, Volunteering | No Comments »
If you’ve been wondering how you can help the Bastrop residents who have recently lost their houses to wildfires, and you’re the type who thinks pie (or cake or cookies) really DOES solve all problems, then look no further! The same group who brought their baking and pastry skills to benefit victims of the Japanese tsunami are back for another round of fundraising with Austin Bakes for Bastrop.
Start your ovens and mark your calendar for the October 1 event! For a delicious way to get involved, and to donate tasty pastries of your own, hit up http://austinbakes.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/austin-bakes-for-bastrop/ for full details.
If you prefer to send monetary donations to the families affected, please check out the Central Texas Wildfire Fund to give generously.
2011
09.12
Tags: 13 Little Blue Envelopes, 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover, Aimee Lee Ball, Amazon Kindle, Bruce Willis, Capital Metro SUCKS, Charles Bukowski, Cybill Disobedience, Cybill Shepherd, ebooks, Elvis, hipsters, Hollywood, Lendle.me, Linda Wisdom, Make the Devil Fumble His Wine, Maureen Johnson, Outcast, Robert Bruce, Thomas Myer
Posted in Books & Lit, Freebies, Steals and Deals | No Comments »
I’ve got a Kindle (a much-loved birthday present from my husband, who knows how I tear through books), which never ceases to attract attention on the bus—both for its technological wow-factor and for the sheer fact that I’m the weird girl who is reading on the bus. (Seriously, we are a rare breed.) Being a broke-ass frugal type, I tend not to frivolously toss down a ten-spot for digital books, so I regularly troll the free section of Amazon’s Kindle store, in search of titles that are actually worth downloading.
Trust me: I’ve been through quite a few that, despite their totally free price-tag, weren’t even worth my time. (And lord, do I have time for reading, as my average commute takes an hour each way. Thanks, CapMetro!)
In short, I’ve made a list of the top 5 books I’ve managed to acquire for free (or cheap) through Amazon which are actually worth reading. Check it out!
Cybill Disobedience by Cybill Shepherd and Aimee Lee Ball – With a subtitle like “How I survived beauty pageants, Elvis, sex, Bruce Willis, lies, marriage, motherhood, Hollywood, and the irrepressible urge to say what I think,” this book is pretty damn cheeky. Granted, it’s a celebrity memoir, and thus a bit flakily organized, but I give it 3 stars for guts. Ms. Shepherd dishes the dirt on her many and various lovers, the misogynistic boys club of Hollywood, and her quest for equal rights for all. I’d like to see more of this last bit in the future, cus there’s nothing like a loudmouthed blonde crusading for justice. HOT.- 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson – Yes, this is a Young Adult book, and shut up. It was actually really enjoyable, despite the main character’s persistent need to run away from the action of the book, and it made me long for a crazy artist aunt of my own who might send me on a whirlwind journey across Europe with nothing but a backpack and 13 envelopes directing me to my next destination. 4 stars; read it in an afternoon with a cup of coffee and dream of Paris. (NOTE: I was able to download a free version of this book as part of a promotion by the publisher, but the Kindle version currently available costs $7.99.)
- 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom – If you dig the supernatural and you’re been craving a mystery involving witches, vampires and possessed bunny slippers, then here is your next read. I’m only 14% into this book so far, but I’m already recommending it. What can I say? I’m a sucker for puns, and the vamps who inspire ‘em. (NOTE: This one was also free for a limited time, but currently costs $4.61.)
Outcast by Thomas Myer – Full disclosure: Tom is a writer friend of mine, so I am slightly biased. But even so, for $2.99 this little NaNoWriMo exercise-turned-novel is worth the price, and highly enjoyable. I was kind of peeved about his ending, but I still enjoyed the rest of the journey, so I only demoted him one star for this offense. And since his usual writing territory is the vast and largely soporific world of tech guides, I’d call this a welcome departure from the rest of his catalog. (Put that on your next book’s jacket, Tom, I dare you!)- Make the Devil Fumble His Wine by Robert Bruce – A book of poetry that doesn’t suck? On your Kindle? WTF, right? I originally downloaded this for free from Robert’s website, and now that it’s available on Amazon, it’s only $2.99 (the magic price) and highly recommended. I particularly enjoyed “Four Foolproof Ways to Create Staggering Wealth in This World.” Check this one out, even if you hate poetry. I promise you will dig it, the way hipsters dig Bukowski.
Got any free or cheap ebooks you’d recommend?
2011
09.08
Tags: Alamo Drafthouse, Andrea Beleno Harrington, Banned Burned Seized and Censored, Blanton Museum of Art, Capital Area Food Bank, City of Austin, copyright, Cultural Arts Division Offices, DIVE!, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Harry Ransom Center, Hungry in America panel discussion, Legal Assistance to Microenterprises Project, patents, Protecting Your Work: Intellectual Property Basics for Artists and Creative Types, reading list, Rolling Roadshow, Take it to the Next Level free workshops for creatives, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, trade secrets, trademark
Posted in Books & Lit, Classes, Events, Movies | No Comments »
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Graphic identity for Banned, Burned, Seized, and Censored exhibition (image courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center)
The “Banned, Burned, Seized, and Censored” exhibit is on now until January 22, 2012 at the Harry Ransom Center. Entry to the Center is always free on Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 AM to 5 PM, with extended hours until 7 PM on Thursdays, and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 PM. The opening gala is tomorrow night (September 9) from 6 to 8 PM. Tickets are $20 at the door, or free for members of the Center. And don’t miss their reading list of banned and censored books, most of which you can find at your local library!
- The City of Austin is offering “Take it to the Next Level” free workshops for creatives, including today’s class, “Protecting Your Work: Intellectual Property Basics for Artists and Creative Types” from 3 to 5:30 PM at the Cultural Arts Division Offices (201 E. 2nd Street). Topics to be covered include legal issues of trademark, copyright, trade secrets and patents; how to enforces your right to protected work; and a guided tour of state and federal trademark applications and copyright registration. Presenter Andrea Beleno Harrington is an attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid’s Legal Assistance to Microenterprises Project (LAMP). Check out the rest of their scheduled classes for 2011 at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/redevelopment/nextlevel_schedule.htm.
The Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow presents a free screening of our favorite 80′s movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, this Sunday, September 11 at 7:30 PM. There’s a $5 suggested donation for entry to the pre-show street party, and lawnchairs are recommended. Movie starts at 9 PM.- A free screening of the award-winning documentary DIVE! will be played at the Blanton Museum of Art as part of the Hungry in America panel discussion presented by the Capital Area Food Bank on Thursday, September 15 at 6 PM. The museum is located at 200 E. MLK Blvd. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned foods for the CAFB food drive to receive $1 off regular admission to the museum. Check out the film’s trailer online here.
2011
08.31
Tags: 3-Day Novel Contest, Labor Day weekend, Laura Roberts, name a character in my novel, pirates vs. ninjas novel, World's Greatest 3-Day Novel
Posted in Books & Lit, Events, Fun | No Comments »
The 3-Day Novel Contest happens every Labor Day weekend, and this year Shoestring Austin’s editor, Laura Roberts, will be participating. In this whirlwind book-writing frenzy, hundreds–nay, thousands!–of writers crank out brand-new books in just three days, with little to no time for sleep, much less doubt or hesitation. The winner is published by 3-Day Books, and heralded as the World’s Best 3-Day Novelist for one full year of glory.
So, in case you wondered why we’re not updating this weekend (or responding to emails), that would be why.
Also, in case you want one last shot at naming a character in the World’s Greatest Pirates Vs. Ninja Story EVER, you’ve only got six more hours to make it happen! Click here for details.
2011
08.30
Tags: free live music, free wine tastings at Spec's, Houston Chronicle, Kristin Finan, The Cheap Bastard's Guide to Austin, The Cheap Bastard's Guide to Houston, The Cheap Bastard's Guide to San Francisco
Posted in Books & Lit, Budget Travel | 2 Comments »
Speaking of culinary mysteries, does anyone know when The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Austin will be hitting shelves around town? Amazon.com says the publication date is September 1, 2011, but like good localistas, we’d love to buy a copy at one of our neighborhood booksellers, to keep the local cashflow circulating.
We’re excited about this book, mostly because we bought a copy of The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to San Francisco back in the day, and it was busting with great info on how to live the good life on a shoestring budget. Looking forward to gleaning similar tricks and tips for Austin!
This particular volume is written by Houston Chronicle writer Kristin Finan who, according to the book’s “About the Author” section, is an Austin native who divides her time between Austin and Houston. She’s also written The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Houston, so hopefully she’s been doing her homework down here in the Capital to bring us more than the usual suspects of free live music pretty much everywhere and free wine tastings at Spec’s.
2011
08.29
Tags: Alex Trebek, Annual Grape Stomp, Becker Vineyards, Con' Olio Oils and Vinegars, Ginny's Austin, Jeopardy!, Lucille Ball, Lucy Ricardo Costume Contest, olive oil, paella, potent potables, Spanish tapas, Texas vineyards, wine
Posted in Events, Food, Freebies, Groceries | No Comments »
We’ve always been a fan of potent potables and the Jeopardy! category dedicated to rounding them up, in question form. So put on your thinking caps and riddle us this, Trebek fans: Where can you stomp grapes with your bare feet here in Texas?
If you replied “What is Becker Vineyards?” you’re the champ. Bonus points if you’re also dressed in your Italian peasant clothes or happen to own a Lucille Ball curly red wig, ‘cus Becker is also hosting their annual Lucy Ricardo Costume Contest on September 4 at 3 PM. Contestants will be judged by three criteria, according to the vineyard’s website: “1) Stomping Ability, 2) Costume, and 3) Enthusiasm!” Bring your best Lucy impressions and nice, clean feet to stomp to the beat of music by Brian Mullin.
If you’re busy on the 4th, don’t fret! You can come the day before (Sept 3) between 10 AM and 6 PM for a grape-smashin’ good time (though no prizes for your whining to Ricky about how you wanna be in the big show).
"Kim's grapes" from Becker Vineyards' Grape Stomp (photo by Flickr user aavarnum)
For those who prefer to tiptoe through the tapas, enjoy a gratis gastronomic tour of Spain at Con’ Olio Oils & Vinegars (10000 Research Blvd, #130) this Tuesday, August 30. Olive oil, wine and paella will be served from 6 to 8 PM. While you’re there, invest in a nice, fresh bottle of EVOO so you can re-create the experience at home for your besties, using the “perfect paella” recipe from Ginny’s Austin.
And don’t forget to say “gracias” to your gracious hosts, lest you be branded a cheapskate. We may be on a budget, but we Shoestringers aren’t freeloaders, am I right?
